The LSR Group acquired a lion sculpture painted by Dmitriy Shagin, leader of the «Mitki» art movement. The lion is decorated in the typical «Mitki» manner; lions «protecting» the Yelagin Island Palace became its prototype. By the way, this very palace became the hospitable house for hosting the Easter charitable action. It is not the first time that the World Club of Petersburgers holds an auction of the kind. For sure, many people could see colorful lion sculptures in the streets and embankments of St. Petersburg. Children, artists, prominent Petersburgers paint the figures, which are later displayed at auctions in which anybody, who cares about the fate of handicapped children, children without parental support, or young talented children from low-income families, can take part. Here is what Igor Levit, Director General of OAO LSR Group, said about this: «The Lion Parade» charitable action is not just another exotic idea of how to decorate our city and make it brighter through involving talented residents and guests of St. Petersburg into this creative process. The major goal is to provide possibilities to help those who are in desperate need of support and attention. The more lions appear in the streets of St. Petersburg, the more people will realize that life of children with difficult fate has become at least a bit happier.«The money paid by the LSR Group for the «Mitki» lion will be used in favor of children and young handicapped people with mental and physical abnormalities living in boarding schools of Pavlovsk and Petershof and several families. A public organization «Perspectives» is involved in establishing for them living conditions as close to regular life of ordinary people as possible. This organization was founded by a group of Russian and German enthusiasts more than ten years ago. At the April 13 auction, two more lion sculptures were displayed: the «Lion and Peonies» and «The Golden Lion.» The first one was the King of animals whose body was painted with peonies. Petersburgers could see the second one if the Hermitage yard in the course of the last winter. There even appeared a legend that touching the lion’s nose brings luck. The omen became so popular that the animal’s nose had to be«powdered» with paint because the original gilding was worn out practically entirely. Both sculptures will join again «the Lion Parade» in St. Petersburg after participation in the auction; the blue «Mitki» one will join them as well. It will now have a plate with the name of the LSR Group.